Wood planer blade setting gauge



March 18, 1952 N. J. RIVARD 2,589,365

' woon PLANER BLADE SETTING GAUGE Filed Feb. 27, 1948 Patented Mar. 18, 1952 "UN l'TE D s TAT-ES Pare-N T :;FE1 cl:

' WOOD PLANER BLADE SETTING-GAUGE Nelson 'J.-Rivard, Milford, Conn.

'Application'February 27, 1948, Serial'Nc. 11,562

2 Claims.

'1 This invention relates to a gauge for setting planer blades, and has for an objectto provide a very simple, efiective device for facilitating the specification. .It is, however, to be understood the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction and arrangement shown,

but may embody various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention.

In this drawing: 7 Fig.'1'is a side elevation of the device showing how it may be used to set the blades of a socalled wood jointer planer;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the gauging device;

Fig. 3 is an end view, and

Figs. '4 and 5are side elevations showing how the device may be usedforsetting the blades of so-called woodthickness planers.

The .usual hand method of setting the-planer bladesis a very tedious'and diflicult operation, and it is hard'to get all the blades set. the same so that the rotating cutters will cut properly. This device will set them quickly and accurately without the use of the usual cut-and-try method. The construction-may, of course, be varied, but

that showniin the drawing comprisesa body including an inverted U-shapedframe [0 with a strap or faceplate ll joining the ends of-the side members or laterally spaced legs I 2. The

plate H :maybe secured'to the ends of these legs by any suitable means, such, for example, as

welding-as shown at l3. Mounted in the frame ".is astrong electric magnet including a body 14, one pole l5 of which is extended through an opening in theplate H with its endsurface preferablysubstantially flush with the lower face 16 of this plate. The magnet may be mounted'in any-suitable way, but, as shown, its upperend is :against the connection portion I! of 'the U- shaped body member and rests by an intermediate shoulder on a plate or washer l8 resting on a substantially cone-shaped sheet metal member [9, which may have a certain amount of resilience to allow for expansion andcontraction.

Adjustably secured tothe member [0 aresuit- :ablesupp'orting members adapted to rest onone ormorelocating surfaces to position the surface at highspeed in the machine, and there .aretwo; tables 30 and 3| .mountedon oppositevsidesxof of themagnet pole in agiven relation-with :these locating surfaces. ;In the form shown, these supporting and positioning members comprise fingers or plates'fll pivotallysecuredlto ithe outer surfaces of lthe'legs 12 by anysuitablemeans, such as the boltst2| "These fingers may be of differentshapes as found .desirable,'but those'shown have been found to be very. satisfactoryand are formed from plates of suitablelthickness or gauge, preferably tapered ontheir upper 'edges toa narrower outer end'22 with astra'ight lower edge 23 forming .a supporting and locating :means.

iThereis a .pair of thesexfingers or supporting members mounted-on each of :the opposite sides of the member 'l0,:and they are preferably of: a length so that the .respective fingers of each pair extend well'beyond the opposite ends of the member has shown 'in Figsnlan'dl2. These-fingers can be adjusted'to 'diiferentpositions by:swinging them about theirapivotsizl, andithey maybe -secured-in any adjusted position'by anysuitable means, such, for example, as :the wing .nuts' 24,

on these screws, and it'.is also preferred touse split spring or look washers 25 whereby "these fingers may-be securediand'iclamped 0r'ilocked in different adjusted positions.

As statedabova there .are two :main types of planerkniveswhichimust be properly-set for effective operation of :the planer. They are com- :monly called (1) woodlointer and '(2) wood thickness planers. Fig. 1 shows how ithe device is used to'set the'so-called-wood jointer cutters.

The blades 26 are properly set 'in therotating roller 21, the blades normally runningthefull lengthof the roller,. and:are usually set inlongitudinal grooves'28 in'the roller and secured by set screwslQ. This roller'iis mounted to rotate this'roller. The board to beaplaned is':fed from the table :30 to the .table't3l while .passingpver the cutter roller 21, .thBIkIliVGS 10f :whichi'do-ithe planing operation, theixboard, '-or course, being guided and held down :against :the tops Ofithese tables during the. planing operationlby suitable means (not shown).

In setting the .kniferollerzzl with this :;device. after the .blades: 26 are properly "locatedin the rollerandclamped therein,1either by this device 'in the :manner presentlyitoibeidescribeddn connection with Figs. .4 and: ,5 or by some other means, the sideplates or fingersiiil areadjusted so that their lower edges 23zareiinithe. same plane -;as.1the..surface "I 6 of the plate iH andtherefore in the 'same plane as tithe exposed surface of the 3 magnetic pole l5, and then these fingers are clamped by the thumb nuts 24. These fingers may be so located on a surface gauge or other suitable means, or they can be located. by a straight-edge placed on the surface of the plate H. Then the device is placed on top of the table 3!, as shown in Fig. 1, and held level on this table while the other table 30 is raised by suitable adjusting means (not shown) to bring the top of this table up to engage the lower edges of the fingers on the opposite side of the roller 21, as shown in full lines Fig. 1. This brings the top of table 36 on the same level as the top of table 3!, and the top surfaces of at least one of these tables, in this case table 3|, acts as a locating surface for the fingers 20 and thus the face of the magnet pole 15. The device with the fingers 20 is centered with respect to the roller 21 by the center gauge line 32 on the outer surface of the legs I2. One of these devices is used adjacent each of the opposite ends of the roller and both properly set, as described, on the tables and 3|. Now, if the roller 21 is loosened, the strong magnets of the two devices adjacent the opposite ends of this roller will draw it up against the bottom of the plates ll of the two devices and hold it there. It is preferred to use the two devices to thus simultaneously locate the opposite ends of the roller, but it will be understood that one end of the roller may be located with one of these devices secured in this position, and then the device shifted to the other end of the roller to locate that end. After the roller is located by the device or devices the bearings for this roller can be set while the roller is held by the magnet, and it will be understood these cutting edges of the blades 26 when in their top position will be accurately located on the level of the plane of the top surfaces 34 and 33 of the tables 30 and-3|. Now the gauges can be removed and by means of the adjusting means (not shown) for the table 30, this table may be lowered to any given dotted line position 35 to 'bring its top surface 34 at the proper distance below the level of the surface 33 of the table 3!, and the top of the edges of the cutters 26. This will, therefore, determine accurately the amount of bite or out which is to be taken off the surface of the board in the planing operation. It will be seen this is a very simple operation to accurately locate the roller 2! and one which may be performed easily and quickly without any tedious cut and try operation.

' The device can also be used to set all the blades in the roller 21 with their cutting edges at a uniform distance above the surface of the roller, or that is, at a uniform radial distance from the axis of the roller, so that all blades will operate the same on the work. After setting or locating the roller with one blade as described the other blades can each be loosened,

the roller turned to bring each blade under the the roller at the proper angle to the axis for. the i plurality of cutter blades 36, only one of which is shown, and which blades are adjusted in or out to locate the knife edge 39 at the properdistance above the surface of the roller, after which it is adjusted in position by its set screws .40. By the ordinary methods'it is very difficult to set these blades so that the cutting edge of each projects the same distance above the surface of the roller 36, as the roller is usually rather inaccessible and not much space is available to get at it, and the roller will not operate properly in a planer if these cutting edges are not located at the same distance from the axis of the roller. These blades may, however, be very easily and accurately set with this device. To do this, the wing nuts 24 are loosened, therefore loosening the fingers 20 to swing about the bolts 2|. The device is then set on roller 26 with the magnet toward the roller, and with a thickness gauge 4| seated on the roller and between the surface of the roller and the plate H and the magnet. This thickness gauge or plate 41 of the desired thickness is placed on top of the roller or the face of the magnet to position this face of the magnet at a distance above the surface of the roller determined by the thickness of this plate 4 l. This gauge or thickness plate is of the thickness it is desired that the cutting edges 39 of the knife blades 38 be set above the outer surface of the roller 36. After the magnet has been placed and located by this thickness gauge, as shown in Fig. 4, the fingers 23 are swung down so thattheir lower edges 23 engage the surface of the roller as shown in Fig. 4, and the thumb screws 24 tightened up to secure them in this position. Then the thickness gauge M is removed, and it will be seen that now when the edges 23 of the fingers 26 are seated on the surface of the roller 36, as shown in Fig. 5, the base of the magnet l5 will be spaced above the surface of the roller 36 an amount equal to the thickness of the thickness gauge 4!. Now, if the magnet is placed over the outer edge of one of,

the knife blades 38, as shown in Fig. 5, with the edges of the fingers 23 still seated on'the roller 36, and the blade released by loosening the set screws 49, its outer cutting edge 33 willbe drawn up to and held by the magnets l5, there bein one of these devices used adjacent each of the opposite ends of the roller. This will accurately position the cutting edge of the blade the proper distance above the surface of the roller, and this distance will be uniform for the entire length of the blade, and it is the thickness of the thickness gauge ll. Then by setting up the set screws 40, the blade 38 is clamped in this position while it is still held by the magnet, and as suggested, by using oneof these gauges at each end of the roller 36 the blade isvery accurately and uniformly located with relation to the surface of the roller 36 throughout its entire length. The same operation can then be employed for each of the other blades of the roller, and it will be clear that each can be easily and quickly adjusted to the proper position and clamped therein, and they are all accurately mounted with their cutting edges each the same distance-above the surface of the cylinder or roller 36, or that is, the same distance from the axis of the roller so that they will all operate the same on the work.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, I claim? 1. A wood planer blade setting gauge com prising a body member, a strong magnet mounted in said body with a pole face of the magnet aasjases substantially Lflatand constituting a gauging surface at the lower side of the body, a pair of lo-' eating and supporting fingers pivotally mounted on each of the opposite sides of the body to swing about axes substantially parallel to the face of the magnet with the respective fingers of each pair extendable beyond the opposite ends of the body to rest 9n locating surfaces to support and locate the pole surface with respect to said locating s urfaces, and means for securing I the fingers in'adiusted positions.

2. A Wood planer blade setting gauge of the character described comprising an inverted U- shaped member including spaced side legs, a face plate extending between the free ends of the legs of said member, a strong magnet mounted j in said member with a pole located in the plate the face of which is a substantially flat surface at substantially the face of the plate, the face of i the plate beingsubstantially fiat and constitut- .1

ing a gauging; rface, a pair of supporting fingers pivotally mounted on each of the opposite sides of said member to swing about axes substantially parallel to the face of the plate and adapt- NELSON J. RIYARD.

. REFERENCES CITED L, The following references are of record in the .iffi le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 94,968 Moore Sept} 21, 1869 1,416,810 Foster May; 23, 1922 "1,668,431 Sprinkle May 1, 1928 1,730,495 Enos Oct. 8, 1929 2,113,598 Muller Apr.;12, 1938 OTHER REFERENCES Getting The Most Out Of Your Circular Saw and Jointer," p. 39, 10th ed., Deltan Mfg. Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Copyright 1937. (Copy in Div. 13.) 

